Look Both Ways
by Linzerj
Summary: Spoilers for Endgame; AU. Before the mission, Wally seeks the advice of an old friend and learns of his shocking fate. Meanwhile, three years prior, most of the Team and some of the League find themselves separated when teleported to a strange new land.
1. Chapter 1

_Spoilers for Endgame. AU. Before the mission, Wally seeks the advice of an old friend and learns of his shocking fate; meanwhile, three years prior, most of the Team and some of the League find themselves separated when teleported to a strange new land._

_**Look Both Ways**_

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Location: Unknown  
June 16, 17:09 EST_

Whenever Wally West got a bad feeling, that bad feeling usually meant something bad was going to happen to either him, Artemis, or any member of his family. This time, though, he felt it was going to be about him.

So, with a little convincing from a few members of the League, he was allowed to visit the one person who could tell him what that might mean.

Assuming, of course, he could find him.

The strange town was not what Wally had expected at all; in fact, if anything, he had expected vast forests and tall castles, since…well, that's a story for another time.

But if Wally knew anything about his target, it would have something to do with magic or gold.

And when in doubt, follow the explosions.

_Team Year 2: 2012  
Mount Justice  
June 16, 15:37 EST_

"_Recognized: Nightwing B-01, Robin B-13."_

"I cannot believe Batman made me do that! I thought I was a goner."

"Well, it worked, didn't it? I told you, Batman's plans never fail."

A young Garfield poked his head from over the couch; the two Bats had failed to notice him. "Hi, guys! Is the rest of the team back yet?"

"No," Nightwing replied, shaking his head. "But they'll be back soon – or most of them, anyway. Aqualad, Tempest, and Aquagirl are on a mission with Aquaman in the deep oceans, investigating some new lead on Black Manta; and Troia and Wonder Woman are still in Themyscira. Why do you ask…? Were you waiting for one of them?"

"No," a second voice sounded, and another head popped up from behind the couch. This one belonged to twelve-year-old Billy Batson, or as he was known in his other form, Captain Marvel. "He was sort of asking for me. Black Canary is going to call the rest of you to a meeting sooner or later. She wanted to know how many of you to expect."

Robin arched an eyebrow. "Expect? For what? Are Lieutenant Marvel and Sergeant Marvel going to be joining the team?"

Billy shrugged. "Batman says soon, but not yet. Besides, they're still a bit mad that they're not getting accepted straight into the League, even though I'm in it and we're all technically the same age… Anyway, no, this is something else entirely. And now, I gotta go. I'll see you later, Gar!"

With that, Billy vaulted the couch and made for the zeta tubes. As the computer announced "_Recognized, Billy Batson A-05,_" Nightwing glanced over at Garfield. "So, what were you two doing?"

Gar grinned. "He was telling me about the mission you guys get to go on – but I can't tell you anything. It's a _secret_!"

Robin scoffed. "_Secret_ like how Billy's got a crush on Perdita secret, or _secret_ like Batman's identity secret?"

"The second one."

"Right," Robin muttered. "Well, what will you be doing?"

"Since M'gann is going on the mission with you guys, J'onn is going to take me to his place until you guys are done."

"Uh-huh…and uh, how many Leaguers are going on the mission?"

Nightwing arched an eyebrow at the slight malice in Robin's tone. "Is there something wrong with the League coming along to have our backs?"

"No," Robin defended quickly. "I was just curious."

"Uh-huh, sure you were," Gar said, laughter evident in his voice. "But to answer your question, Billy's going, along with Black Canary, and I think he said something about both Arrows and Flash coming too."

Robin seemed to mull it over. "I'm alright with that. Should be fun, huh 'Wing?"

Nightwing grinned. "It will be interesting, to say the least…"

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Location: Unknown  
June 16, 17:11 EST_

Wally was smart sometimes, and did not run straight to the explosions. Instead, he took a quick jog around the town to try and get a feel for it. It was much larger than one would expect, but looks are always deceiving.

Arriving back at the source of earlier commotion, he was relieved to find it had ended. That was always a good thing.

He opened the door to the shop he had arrived in front of; a little bell jingled slightly. The occupants, who had been discussing some matter quietly, looked up to stare at him incredulously. His eyes scanned them, recognizing some, confused by others, before he saw the one he was looking for.

"Mr. Gold, I presume?" Wally asked, stepping forward and offering his hand to the man with the cane. "Or do you still prefer Rumpelstiltskin?"

_Team Year 2: 2012  
Mount Justice  
June 16, 15:42 EST_

"_Recognized: Flash 04, Green Arrow 08, Captain Marvel 15, Red Arrow 21, Kid Flash B-03, Artemis B-07."_

"Is everyone here now?" Black Canary asked the teens and adults now assembled before her. At the nods she smiled slightly. "Good."

As several blurry and bright images appeared on the holo-screens, Black Canary continued; "There have been, according to Doctor Fate, fluctuations in _our_ Earth's magical properties, or as they can also be called, ley lines. He believes that they are also the cause of these random portals that continue to pop up. So far, no one has gone missing as a result, but the portals all appear in a certain wooded area in Maine. Our mission is to investigate, and if we can find one of these portals, we are to go through it together to determine what is on the other side. Any questions?"

"What do you mean, 'our Earth'?" Wally asked. "I mean, there aren't _really_ other dimensions…are there?"

"I told you, Kid," Flash answered before Black Canary could open her mouth. "The League has had some multi-dimensional incidents before. Doctor Fate believes that the fluctuations are being caused by a massive buildup of magical energy in another universe."

"Why are portals popping up, then?" Captain Marvel asked.

"It probably has something to do with the magical properties of this other dimension," Zatanna mused.

"Right," Black Canary nodded. "Doctor Fate said that the properties of this other dimension must be extremely great; he has a theory on what this is being caused by–"

"Well, here's a question: if Doctor Fate's the one doing most of the research into this, why isn't he coming with us?" Robin asked.

"I was getting to that," Canary said. "While Doctor Fate has a theory on the dimension causing this whole debacle, if he's right then he is forbidden from going there unless explicitly invited by the Reul Ghorm or the Dark One; and before anyone asks, apparently these two are the most powerful beings of this universe. The Reul Ghorm is the original magic user, and uses her magic for good, while in contrast the Dark One was created much later as a curse that could be passed from anyone who kills his or her predecessor with an enchanted dagger. As the name suggests, he practices dark magic, but depending on the host of the curse he could really be on the side of good while keeping up his dark appearance."

The assembled heroes were silent at this; Zatanna was musing the information over, as though trying to memorize it so she could later recognize the realm.

"Well, if there are no more questions, then we are all set to go," Canary announced.

_Maine  
June 16, 16:31 EST_

The heroes disembarked from the camouflaged bio-ship, looking around the area where the reports of portals came in. Black Canary, the designated leader of the mission, surveyed the site and then turned back to face the team.

"All right, we'll split into three groups," she decided. "Artemis, Rocket, Miss Martian, Green Arrow, and I are Alpha. Flash, Nightwing, Red Arrow, and Superboy, you'll be Beta. Captain Marvel, Kid Flash, Zatanna, and Robin, you're Gamma. Stay within shouting distance, but try to cover as much ground as possible. Oh, and Miss M, if you'd be so kind as to link us up…?"

Miss Martian nodded, and her eyes glowed blue for a brief moment. "_Link established."_

"_Good,_" Black Canary said mentally, the thought echoing in everyone's heads. _"Now remember, us Leaguers are the designated leaders for you guys, but if for some reason you are separated from your Leaguer or Leaguers, the designated leaders are to be Artemis, Nightwing, and Kid Flash for their respective groups."_

A chorus of _"Yeah"_s, "_Got it_"s, and a single "_Can we just go already?"_ echoed in everyone's heads. At the nod, the teams split up and began to search for…something.

The something found them when the second the groups were only a mere fifteen feet apart, the ground rumbled and opened into an immense portal.

They were swallowed, without leaving a trace.

* * *

So yeah, I'm totally treading in untested waters here. But I've actually had this idea in my head for a long time; I could never get it out in writing until now though.

For those wondering, I did some research, and found that Jason's designation was indeed B-13; I also found that Billy Batson gets his own designation as A-05. Greg Weisman, the producer of the show, confirmed in an interview that during the time-skip we missed Garth and Tula (B-10 and B-11) and Jason, along with Donna Troy/Troia (A-12), and Lieutenant and Sergeant Marvel (B-14 and B-15; I'm guessing these were supposed to be Mary Marvel/Mary Batson and Captain Marvel Jr./Freddie Freeman. If not then oops whatever). So I am totally canon there. I don't know when Beast Boy joined the team, but by this time Gar's mother had died and he was living with the team, most likely in the cave.

In the Once universe, this takes place shortly after 2x16 The Miller's Daughter. However, the continuity of the Once universe is not something I'm really concerning myself with...at the moment.

So I think it's fairly obvious where this story is going, and I know what I want to do with it for the most part, but because of school updates will be slow. I will update as much as possible and as fast as possible though!

Until then, my friends, feel free to tell me whether or not you like the idea, what you thought of the time skip, or what your opinion is on the way Young Justice ended. As always, reviews are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

_**Look Both Ways**_

_Team Year 2: 2012  
Location: Unknown  
June 16, 16:48 EST_

Robin slowly blinked open his eyes, letting out a groan. He heard three other groans as well, and lifted his head to see Captain Marvel, Zatanna, and Kid Flash - the rest of Gamma squad.

The four heroes rose to their feet, somewhat discombobulated. Captain Marvel frowned as he studied their surroundings.

"I don't recognize these types of trees," he said slowly. For a moment Robin wondered how Billy would know any type of tree aside from the obvious conifer versus deciduous, and then realized this was Captain Marvel, who possessed the Wisdom of Solomon, and not Billy Batson. "I guess those portals really are extradimensional."

"That doesn't tell us where we are, though," Kid Flash grumbled. "It also doesn't tell us where the others are."

"He's right," Zatanna piped up. "The comms are down, and M'gann must have been knocked out too since the link went down. And I'm assuming either she's still down or too far away from us since the link hasn't gone back up."

"Well, we're obviously in a forest," Robin commented with a snort.

"Not just any forest, dearies." The four spun around at the strange, high-pitched voice. Behind them, resting on a fallen tree, was a man...one could say. He was clad in leather pants and a jacket made from the hide of some reptile, and his light brown hair was a mess, but the strangest part were the gleaming amber-gold eyes and the glittering green-gold scales, along with the strange, sharp teeth and black claw-like nails.

"This is the Infinite Forest," the man - creature - continued, ignoring the stares he was receiving. "There's no way out - except, of course, my way. But that'll cost you. So, care to make a deal?"

"First, who are you?" Kid Flash finally asked warily.

"You radiate magic," Zatanna murmured. "Magic users are not always trustworthy - so how do we know we can trust you?"

"I always honor my deals, dearie," the imp replied, sauntering forward with a devious smirk. "But I'll tell you what: simply tell me your names, and I'll get you out of here."

"Well, I'm called Captain Marvel," the 'oldest' (technically youngest) of them said, stepping forward.

"Robin," the new boy wonder growled.

"Kid Flash," the speedster added, eyes narrowed at the strange man.

Zatanna frowned, realizing that the others would be reluctant in giving their real names. "Well, my name is Zatanna Zatara."

The imp had been frowning at the others, but at her name he smiled. "Ah. No fake name or anything for you, dearie? Though Zatanna does have a nice ring to it for a magic user such as yourself." Zatanna raised a brow, muttering a soft 'thank you' that the imp barely heard. Turning back to the boys, he added, "Come on now, dearies, _real_ names. Not fake names created to protect your identity or anything. And speaking of which..." he focused in on Captain Marvel. "This is not your true form, is it? I can sense the magic on _you, _dear boy. So for you, I'd like a glimpse of what you really look like, along with your name, if you please."

There was a brief moment of silence as all four of the heroes stared at the imp, slightly dumbfounded. How had he figured out that Captain Marvel was not Billy's real form? Then again, Zatanna could sense the magic in him, and he could sense the magic in her; maybe it was just a magic thing.

Still, for a moment Robin thought the kid might refuse, and leave them stranded (or maybe just be stranded by himself; perhaps the creature would still take Zatanna and Wally, and maybe Robin if he decided to share his identity). Then they all heard the notorious word: "Shazam."

Robin, Kid Flash, and Zatanna had instinctively shielded themselves the moment they heard the first syllable pass through Captain Marvel's lips. The imp, meanwhile, backed away a few steps, eyes wide in astonishment and wonder, as the magic lightning struck the man with a loud _crack_. When the smoke cleared, he arched an eyebrow at the boy standing before him.

"Name's Billy Batson," he said, crossing his arms with a smirk. After the moment of silence he added, "not at all what you expected, huh?"

"No, not at all," the imp remarked. At the sound of a throat being cleared, their heads turned to Kid Flash, who had pulled down his mask.

"My name's Wally West," he said, grinning. At the imp's smirk, Wally turned to Robin, who was simply watching them all from behind his white-lensed mask.

Watching Billy and Wally, Jason debated whether or not he should reveal his secret identity to the creature. Sure, it would get them one step closer to going home and leaving this strange world behind, but on the other hand Batman would kill him if he found out about what happened. He was fairly certain his three teammates already knew his secret identity, since they knew both Dick and Bruce, but still...

"Come on, Rob," Wally said, interrupting his thoughts. "Just get it over with!"

After glaring at Wally, with a sigh Robin peeled away the domino mask but continued to stare at the ground. "Jason Todd," he mumbled. He dared to look up and stare at the imp with his cold blue eyes. "Now, back to Wally's original question: Who are you?"

The imp grinned and proceeded to give an extravagant bow. "Why, I'm the Dark One," he announced. "Though I really prefer Rumpelstiltskin."

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Storybrooke, Maine  
June 16, 17:12 EST_

"Either moniker is fine, dearie," the notorious Mr. Gold said with a smirk. While the other occupants of the room watched in curiosity and confusion, the pawnbroker accepted the outstretched hand. "Wally West. I never thought I'd see you again."

"Never thought I'd see you without the glittery scales and the dragon-skin jackets," Wally shot back with his own smirk. "This place is…interesting."

"A curse," Mr. Gold said, as though that explained everything. Wally rolled his eyes.

"Of course it is."

"I'm sorry," the blonde woman cut in, finally confused enough that she just needed to know what the situation was. "Who are you, exactly? And how do you know Mr. Gold – Rumpelstitlskin – whatever he prefers?"

"Long story," Wally said, glancing at the woman. If you squinted she looked a lot like the woman with short black hair, but she had an air about her that mimicked the tall blonde man. And as an afterthought, the other dark-haired man had Rumpelstiltskin's eyes...but whatever, that wasn't the point. "Maybe I can tell you about it later."

"Indeed," Mr. Gold agreed, stepping out from behind the counter - and Wally realized he was limping, and had to use a cane. That was new, too. "But if Wally has come oh so far just to speak to me, it must be quite urgent."

"Yeah, it sort of is." Wally rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the audience who didn't seem very keen on leaving. "Um...so here's the deal. Our world's being invaded, and I've got a bad feeling about...about my fate. And you know that those 'feelings' usually have some type of merit. So I was wondering if you could take a quick peek into my immediate future - like, a week, two tops - and tell me what's going to happen? Just name the price."

Mr. Gold sighed. "How...how about a favor? Next time you see me, you'll owe me."

Wally gave him a puzzled look. "Next time? What do you...? Rumple, what do you mean by that?"

Rumpelstiltskin smiled, a sad smile, and murmured. "So very sorry, dearie. In your world, you are going to cease to exist in four days."

_Team Year 2: 2012  
The Enchanted Forest  
June 16, 17:02 EST_

The column of crimson smoke dissipated into the air, but still sent shivers up Wally's and Jason's spines. Zatanna and Billy seemed fine in comparison; it most likely had to do with their magical origins, Wally mused.

"There you are, dearies," the imp grinned, turning to face them. "Out of the Infinite Forest, welcome to the Enchanted Forest. To the north you'll find the realm Queen Regina, though if you value your lives I'd recommend staying away from her. To the East the sea is a short way off, and across it are lands such as Agrabah; before you arrive at the shore you will also find the realm of King Thomas and Queen Ella. To the South are the Frontlands, where the people are recovering from a recent Ogre War I stopped for them, as well as the realms of King Midas, Princess soon-to-be-queen Aurora, and Maleficent. If you go to Midas, beware, for his touch could turn you to gold. Now, to the West are the realms of King Leopold, who is searching for his adopted son's twin brother who took his dead twin brother's place but has now run off to be with Snow White who is also on the run from Queen Regina, with my Dark Castle to the Southeast. Or if you prefer, I can call my good friend Jefferson, or as he's better known, the Mad Hatter. His magic hat can take you to other lands, such as Oz, Wonderland, Neverland, the Black-and-White Land, or perhaps even your home realm."

The four simply stared at him, trying to absorb the massive amount of information Rumpelstiltskin had thrown at them in such a short time. Finally Zatanna spoke up. "If you can, could you locate our friends? There were two other groups; one had four females and a male, and the other had all males. If we can we'd like to regroup so we can then find a way home together. And I'm sure there'll be a price, so just name it."

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "Sorry, dearies, but I'm afraid you'd have to be more specific. Names would always be helpful; if they're magic, that'd be nice to know too."

"We can't give you their names," Jason blurted. At the raised eyebrow he added, "We have a rule, that we can only give out our own secret identity. If we were to tell you who to look for we'd have to give you codenames; otherwise our guardians and mentors would murder us."

At the three accompanying nods, Rumpelstiltskin shrugged. "Well then, I'm afraid I can't do much for you then. The Enchanted Forest is vast; I would especially feel bad for them if they wound up in Regina's lair, but you'd be on your own."

"...Can't we go with you?" Billy asked. When both eyebrows disappeared under the messy hair, Billy continued, "We could just stay for a few nights, get our bearings, and then see if we can locate them."

"If given the time," Zatanna added, "to get accustomed to the magic of your land in a relatively safe place, I could probably locate our friends and we'd be on our way. We would greatly appreciate it, too."

Rumpelstiltskin cocked his head to one side, considering their offer. "It's not something for nothing, dearie," he finally said. "Magic always comes with a price. What would you be willing to pay?"

"What do you want us to pay?" Wally asked. The Dark One smirked at this.

"Ah, smart ones. Well, how about...how about significant magical figures in the land you come from? Dead or alive, mind you."

Zatanna nodded. "Deal. Well, there's myself, though I'm still making a name for myself, and there was my dad, Giovanni Zatara."

"There was the Wizard - he gave me my powers," Billy added. Before Rumpelstiltskin could ask for a name, Wally added, "The Wizard's name is Shazam, but Billy can't say it or else he'll change forms again."

"Ah, it works both ways," Rumpelstiltskin muttered. "I've heard of Shazam, though; he had another champion before you, Teth Adam or Black Adam, I believe he renamed himself. Never thought he'd chose someone so young...but go on, there must be others!"

"The only other two I can think of," Zatanna said slowly, "would be Klarion the Witch Boy, a Lord of Chaos, and Doctor Fate, a Lord of Order."

The imp's eyes widened at the two names. "Ah, you _are_ from _that_ realm," he muttered. "Well, that is interesting indeed..."

He turned and began to walk away, only pausing when he realized no one was following him. "Well come on now, dearies!" Rumpelstiltskin called. "The castle's this way!"

The four stranded heroes looked at each other, before shrugging and falling into step behind the strange, magical man.

_Team Year 5: 2016_  
_Storybrooke, Maine_  
_June 16, 17:15 EST_

"Cease to...cease to exist?" Wally asked, voice barely above a whisper. "You mean I'll...I'll die?"

"Oh, no, no no no," Mr. Gold hurried to correct his mistake. "No, you won't die, you just won't exist in that universe anymore."

"Uh...that isn't the same thing?"

"No, of course not," Rumpelstiltskin breathed. "No, you'll be transported away from that dimension into limbo. You'll exist, but not on the physical plane you're used to."

Wally stared at him, green eyes swimming with thoughts and confusion and fear. "Well, could you...could you make it so I...I don't know - so I can end up _here_instead of in some dimensional limbo?"

Rumple considered the question for a moment, and then nodded. "Of course...but-"

"For a price," Wally finished. "I know. What'll it be this time? Another favor?"

"Well to pay of that first favor," Mr. Gold said, "you'll need to stick around for a while. My price is for you to stay in Storybrooke for at least a month."

"Deal!" Wally exclaimed instantly. "Deal, deal, deal. Just thank you, Rumpelstiltskin, thank you _so much_...!"

Mr. Gold put a steady hand on Wally's shoulder, and looked him straight in the eye. "It's no problem at all, Wally," he murmured. "Just stay safe, and spend as much time with Artemis as you can - for her sake. You know you'll be reunited soon enough, but she doesn't."

Wally nodded, then turned - and was gone in a flash. Mr. Gold was watching him, a soft smile on his face, while the bystanders - how had he forgotten them? - watched in silent wonder.

"Papa," his son finally breathed, "who exactly was that?"

"An old friend," Mr. Gold murmured, turning to walk away. And before another mouth opened, he added, "You can find out more when he arrives in a few days. Until then, I'll be seeing what Regina's up to."

_Team Year 2: 2012_  
_The Enchanted Forest_  
_June 16, 16:59 EST_

"Oh, that was not fun."

Red Arrow, Superboy, and Flash mumbled agreements as a slightly disoriented Nightwing rose to his feet. The four surveyed the surrounding forests and quickly concluded they weren't in Maine anymore.

"Alternate dimension," Flash said, as if it explained everything. Oh, wait, it did.

"Great," Superboy grumbled. "So what do we-?"

The other three turned and stared at the half-Kryptonian expectantly. They all knew that when Conner stopped in the middle of a sentence, he had heard something - something possibly dangerous.

"Someone's coming," he hissed. He narrowed his eyes, and then growled, obviously not liking what he saw. "And she's most likely not a friend."

At this, the others dropped into battle stances; Nightwing whipped out his ecrisma sticks, Red Arrow had and arrow notched and ready to fire, and both Flash and Superboy dropped into half-crouches that were easy to spring from.

And then a woman in an extravagant black dress appeared.

"What are you doing in my forest?" she demanded, eyes narrowed into slits.

Flash stepped forward tentatively, unsure of how hostile the woman was. "Look, we're sorry. We just sort of appeared here. Side effect of dimensional travel. We'll just go on our way and you won't have to worry, ma'am."

The woman simply continued to glare at them. "Well if you _must_ leave, go south," she hissed finally. "You'll be out of my kingdom after two or three hours. But I suppose," her expression turned thoughtful now, "you _could_ stay; after all, you look like capable warriors, though your outfits are strange, and-"

"We'll leave," Nightwing interrupted, causing her to stare at him. "Thank you for your offer, but we think our other friends are somewhere in this world too and we need to go find them."

She narrowed her eyes again, dangerous brown slits that made even Nightwing squirm. "Fine then. Go. But once you leave, _don't_ come back, or you'll sincerely regret it."

Nightwing nodded as Red Arrow finally lowered his bow, and the four turned their backs to the royal woman in black.

They wouldn't be going back to this place, not if he could help it.

_Enchanted Forest_  
_June 16, 17:01 EST_

"_Link reestablished...between the five of us, anyway. Beta and Gamma are out of my telepathic range,"_ M'gann reported over her telepathic link.

"_And with the comms down, there's no way to track their whereabouts,"_ Black Canary lamented. "_But at least we're together; hopefully Beta squad and Gamma squad are still with their members, at least."_

_"Hey, guys, I think I hear something - or someone,"_ Rocket reported. "_In the bushes."_

"_I hear it,"_ Artemis reported. "_If need be I'm ready to fire."_

_"Well, don't,"_ Green Arrow warned, "_at least not right away, unless you're attacked first. We should see if this person - if it is a person, anyway - can help us out of this mess."_

_"Well, I-" _Artemis broke off as the person suddenly emerged, and suddenly she found herself aiming her arrow at a girl (or to be more accurate, a young woman) who was aiming a similar weapon at her. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" the woman breathed back.

"I asked you first!"

"And you're a bit outnumbered." Artemis had almost forgotten about Rocket and the others, and as the heroine from Dakota City hovered beside her Miss Martian floated over, followed by Black Canary and Green Arrow. The woman's eyes widened slightly, but then she set her jaw and slowly lowered her bow.

"Snow White," she announced. Artemis arched an eyebrow, but said nothing, even as the others pondered about the name over the telepathic link.

"I'm Artemis," she introduced. "This is Rocket, Black Canary, Green Arrow, and-"

"I'm M'gann," Miss Martian interrupted. Snow White blinked at the names, and then obviously decided that they were no stranger than her own.

"Well," she huffed. "Nice meeting you, but if you'd be so kind as to let me-"

"Hold up," Green Arrow interrupted, taking charge of the situation. "We'll let you go, but can you first just tell us where we are?"

At the arched eyebrow and obvious confusion as to how they could not know where they were, Black Canary sighed and stepped to the front of the group. "Please excuse my significant other," she muttered. "I happen to be the brains of this partnership."

"Hey!" the indignant archer cried, while Snow chuckled as the three girls tried to stifle their laughter and failed miserably.

"See, we were...dimension travelling. Really by accident, but it's happened enough that we can figure out when it's occurred pretty easily now," Black Canary continued. "We were just wondering if we could get a name for this world, is all."

"Oh," Snow breathed. "Oh, yes, of course. This is called the Enchanted Forest. Of course there are many kingdoms here too, but that's the overall name of the area."

"Alright," Canary nodded, "thank you very much."

As the group turned to leave, Snow tilted her head in both puzzlement and concern. "Do you need any help?" she asked. "Were you separated from anyone else, or would you like help finding your way around?"

The group paused; Black Canary had not thought of how they would get home, more concerned with locating their missing comrades. But still... "We are, actually, looking for others," she admitted. "We had split into three groups, and really weren't that far apart when we were transported here, but obviously they landed a significant distance from us. One group was four men, and the other was three men and a girl. And really, any help you could offer us would be greatly appreciated."

Snow White smiled, even as Artemis, M'gann, and Rocket shared slightly stunned looks and Green Arrow arched an eyebrow at his girlfriend. "Okay, then. Let's see what we can do."

* * *

When in doubt, of what to do in English class when given free time, write fanfiction.

So the Beta boys are totally on their own, though they won't be for long; meanwhile, Alpha has fallen in with Snow White, and Gamma is trusting Rumpelstiltskin to not turn out to be some cannibal or something. And while Wally learns of his fate, we also learn that no, he is not dead, he's just going to be transported back to Storybrooke, but alive and well. See it's all going to work out.

The story is really going to focus on Gamma and Rumpelstiltskin, since the backstory is meant to build up the relationship of Rumpel and Wally. However we will get tidbits with Alpha and Beta, and their adventures; and of course, we'll follow what happens to Wally during his month in Storybrooke. Later we'll also go back to the 2012 Watchtower to see how the rest of the Team and the League are handling the odd disappearance.

Reviews are always welcome; please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer (for entire story): I do not claim to own Young Justice or Once Upon a Time. Young Justice belongs to Greg Weisman. Once Upon a Time belongs to Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

_**Look Both Ways**_

_Team Year 2: 2012  
The Dark Castle  
June 17, 3:34 EST_

"I cannot believe you made us walk the entire way, with no rest, for the entire night," Zatanna complained to Rumpelstiltskin as the group trudged toward the ominous castle looming above them.

"And you two don't get to say _anything_," Jason hissed to Wally and Billy, who had turned back into Captain Marvel for the benefit of the Stamina of Atlas. The two shrugged and grinned sheepishly.

"Well, dearies, I'll show you to your quarters," Rumpelstiltskin tittered. "I'm assuming you'll end up sleeping through breakfast, but at midday when the sun is highest lunch will be available - if you're awake, of course!"

Wally grinned, the thought of food causing his mouth to water, while Zatanna and Jason mumbled incoherently. Before they could continue, however, Rumpelstiltskin turned to Captain Marvel.

"I'd advise you change forms now, dearie. I'd like to spare my caretaker the heart attack."

Captain Marvel arched an eyebrow, but compliantly shouted "Shazam!" This left a tired Billy Batson in the place of the infallible superhero. As the twelve-year-old yawned, the imp turned back toward his castle.

"Now, let's continue onward, dearies!"

_Team Year 5: 2016  
North Magnetic Pole  
June 20, 13:53 UTC/9:53 EST_

"It's no good Barry. Oh, man, Artemis is _so_ going to kill me. A-and don't even get me started on mom and dad." They were going to kill him for abandoning them. He was going to leave them all thinking he was dead. But there was no other way to save them...no other way to save the world.

"Kid?!" Poor Barry. He didn't realize it either.

"Just tell them, okay?" He was becoming weightless, fading; the world was flashing, and he was starting to see glimpses of Storybrooke. But Wally couldn't leave them all without a final goodbye - or final, for now.

"Kid!"

That was the last Wally heard from his uncle Barry before the world faded to black and he could no longer feel a thing.

Of course, that feeling lasted for merely a second.

In another second he was whole again, and zooming through the center of one of Storybrooke's streets. He decelerated, still relieved he was alive and not dead...not gone.

He was getting stares, he knew, but he was focused only on the man standing in the center of the street, supported by a cane and surrounded by a blonde haired woman, a woman with short black hair, a man with dark brown hair, and a man with blonde hair, as well as a young boy who looked remarkably like the dark haired man.

Wally came to a stop in front of them, pushed his glasses up to rest on his head, and flashed the group a grin.

"Hey, Rumpel," he quipped. "Miss me much?"

_Team Year 2: 2012  
The Dark Castle  
June 17, 11:53 EST_

"So...these are your...'guests'."

Gamma Squad was finally awake and (semi)functional. They had gathered in the dining area, where Rumpelstiltskin's caretaker awaited. She was introduced as Belle, and in his head Wally had made a strange connection; they were like Beauty and the Beast.

Currently the brunette was staring at them with curious blue eyes, questions swimming behind her eyes. Wally could tell from a glance that she wanted to know who they were, where they came from, and what sort of deal they had struck with Rumpelstiltskin - among other, more trivial things.

"Yes," Zatanna said, stepping forward and snapping Wally from his thoughts. "My name is Zatanna. This is Wally, Billy, and..."

"Jason," the black-haired teen grunted. Zatanna nodded, and Belle smiled - somewhat of a front, but anyone could tell she was glad she now had something to call them.

"Well, I'm Belle - but Rumpel already told you that," she said, blushing slightly. The aforementioned imp giggled in his strange pitch, and it sent shivers down Wally's spine. How Belle could live with that he would never know. "So...what brings you here?"

"Just a, ah...an incident with a portal," Zatanna said, trying to find a way to best explain it. The boys let her. If anything, Zatanna was a master at words - hey, she could speak backwards, of course she was best with words! "We're part of a group, you see, that fights evil and investigates strange occurrences in our world. Some portals were randomly opening and we were sent to investigate when we accidentally fell through and were separated from some of the others in our group."

"Ah, that." All eyes turned to Rumpelstiltskin, who blinked as the pressure all shifted to him. "Well, you see, all magic comes with a price. Sometimes when too many things are going on at once, the effects can rebound across dimensions. I know of quite a few portal jumpers in our realm; many of them must have activated their portals around the same time to have caused that sort of effect."

"Lovely," Jason grumbled. Billy shoved his arm, and the teen glared at the younger Leaguer. Wally rolled his eyes before asking the question they were all thinking:

"Can you get us back?"

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Storybrooke, Maine_  
_June 20, 9:58 EST_

"So, kid, who the heck are you, exactly?"

Wally glanced at the blonde woman as he tugged his mask down so that his face was fully visible; the goggles still rested comfortably on his head. "I'm called Kid Flash in uniform, but if you must know it's Wally West."

"Kid Flash? Any reason why?"

"Uh, did you not just see how fast I was running? I can be anywhere in a flash - and my mentor is called Flash, so hey, it works."

"Now, let me get this straight," the blonde man interrupted, trying desperately to follow. "You're a superhero from another world - that's what you're saying?"

"...You're from Rumpel's world, right? Who are you there?"

The man looked startled at the sudden change in topic. "Pr-prince Charming," he managed. "A-and this is my wife Snow." He laid a hand lightly on the black haired woman's shoulder to prove a point.

"Oh, then you two should know them. Flash told me all about meeting you when we all got back home." At the still puzzled looks, he sighed. "Do you seriously _not_ remember meeting them? Snow, you came across Black Canary, Green Arrow, Artemis, Rocket, and M'gann first, and Charming, you fell in with Flash, Red Arrow, Nightwing, and Superboy."

"Oh. _Oh_!" Realization dawned on Snow White's face. "You're one of the four kids who found us and then disappeared in a flash of light with them!"

"Exactly!" Wally sighed, glad to finally have someone other than Rumpelstiltskin who knew what he was talking about. Charming was catching on, but the other three (who weren't there) watched with puzzled expressions.

"Um, yeah, sure," the blonde said. "Well, I'm Emma - their daughter." She gestured to Snow and Charming, and Wally studied her quickly. She did have Charming's hair and temper, but Snow's face and spirit... "And this is my son, Henry."

"And I'm Henry's dad," the other man piped in. "Also Rumpelstiltskin's son, Baelfire. Nowadays I prefer Neal Cassidy though."

Wally grinned as he shook their hands. "Well, this is an interesting family. No wonder you're taking this better than I thought you would."

_Team Year 2: 2012_  
_Enchanted Forest_  
_June 17, 2:05 EST_

"I know where we're going."

"No you don't! I mean, you know we're not walking into booby traps or anything but we don't know our destination!"

"I could always do a sweep of this world-"

"But you could get lost. We don't know how big it is - and we are not losing the guy who's faster than Superman."

"Arrow's right. We have to stick together."

"Yeesh, we all just need to start feeling the aster," Nightwing mumbled, slightly exasperated. "And will you three keep quiet? We don't know what's out here - we could be making ourselves easy targets."

"That's obvious," Red Arrow grumbled.

For once, it was Superboy who was the rational one. "Guys, let's just keep going. We're bound to run across a town or something sooner or later."

"Um, I say sooner," Flash called from a few yards away. The three younger heroes turned and made their way over, and peered through the bushes. Flash had stumbled across a cabin, and from the flickering candles in the windows it was most likely inhabited.

"Alright, then." Nightwing went to move from their cover, much to the surprise of the other three guys. Before any of them could ask, he added, "Move it, guys! This could be the only house for miles."

The rest of Beta shrugged and followed the Batman's protege, though they let the former Boy Wonder have the honor of knocking on the door. ("It was your idea, you do it!" Red Arrow hissed.) They were greeted by an older woman wielding a crossbow, with a girl closer to Red Arrow's age peering at them from behind.

"Who are you?" the woman demanded harshly, crossbow raised and ready to fire.

Red Arrow stepped forward. "Woah, slow down! As much as I approve of the weapon choice-" he jostled his quiver a little- "I'd rather not meet that arrow personally."

"I'm called Flash," the fastest man alive added, stepping in to save the day. "This is Red Arrow. Sorry about him."

"I'm called Nighwing," the masked vigilante added. He turned to Superboy, who sighed.

"Just...you can call me Conner." Huh. Real name. Nightwing shrugged mentally; maybe real names would get them more trust and less stares. (Well, less than what was expected from the costumes.)

"Folks call me Granny," the woman said, finally lowering her crossbow. "This is my granddaughter, Red." The girl stepped forward, waving shyly, and Conner's face wrinkled slightly; she smelled of wolf for some reason. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to contemplate it. "What can I do for you four."

"We're...uh...lost, I guess." Understatement of the century. Understatement of the millennium, really, Nightwing supposed, but he continued on regardless. "It's...complicated. But we were wondering if you'd heard news of any...strangers that have appeared recently. Like us, I mean. If you have, we'd really appreciate it if you could point us in that direction. If not...just toward any town would be nice."

To be honest, none of the members of Beta were expecting an answer. It had been a day. How fast could news travel here?

Red cleared her throat. "Actually, I heard from S-Mary...she said that she was traveling with five strangers now." Apparently it could travel very fast. "I think she was somewhere near...well, here, let me get a map and show you."

Five minutes later, they had their destination, but Granny insisted that they stay until morning. "It's Wolvestime. The wolves are out now, and they would slaughter you." None of them dared to disagree.

But they did agree silently that at the crack of dawn, they would be on their way.

_Team Year 5: 2016_  
_Storybrooke, Maine_  
_June 20, 10:10 EST_

"What's the price for me staying with you, Rum?"

The man with the cane laughed, and Emma could not stop staring at the two. "No price, Wally. Think of it as...extended from the last time, in the Enchanted Forest."

The ginger grinned before speeding inside, no doubt to scope out the area and claim a room for himself. While the teenager was preoccupied, Gold turned to Emma, who was the only one who had accompanied Wally and himself to his salmon (*coughPINKcough*) mansion. "Concerned, dearie?"

"No. Yes. Kinda." The sheriff blushed a bit before continuing: "I mean, I know nothing about this kid. He's got superspeed, claims to know you - and you're going along with it! I don't really know what to make of it...but I do have to ask, Gold. What's that favor that you're going to call in?"

Gold was silent, thinking. Emma waited a minute or two, before her impatient nature took over and she guessed. "You're going to see if he can restore Belle's memories, aren't you?"

It was the logical conclusion, the one the Charming family had immediately jumped to, and the thought would not leave Emma alone. She didn't know if the kid signed up for a death sentence here, or if she should be thankful for the hope he was giving Gold.

"Yes." The admission was so quiet Emma barely heard it. "Yes, I want to see if he can restore Belle's memories. If he can't, then my favor will be something along the lines of helping Bae reconnect with me - and help me figure out how to apologize to him. So," he raised his voice a little now, to a normal speaking tone, as he added, "you have nothing to worry about in that regard."

"Good to know." Emma turned to leave, but paused at her bug as she watched Gold shut the door to his house.

This was going to be a very interesting month.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Young Justice or Once Upon a Time. Young Justice belongs to Greg Weisman. Once Upon a Time belongs to Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

_**Look Both Ways**_

_Team Year 2: 2012  
The Dark Castle  
June 17, 11:55 EST_

"Can you get us back?"

The question echoed in the silence that followed. Wally shifted uncomfortably, somewhat unused to the spotlight focusing on him. Rumpelstiltskin was studying the group, obviously rolling the question around in his mind. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he answered.

"It is possible. I might need consent from Nabu, but even without it I could find a way to send you home."

Zatanna's eyes lit up as Wally grinned; Jason and Billy high-fived. However, their celebration was short lived, as Rumpelstiltskin cleared his throat.

"But um, it would require a magic bean or a portal jumper, and I'm a bit short on both at the moment."

The three males deflated, but now Zatanna was pacing, thinking. "Could Nabu...is he powerful enough to open a portal here?"

Rumpelstiltskin blinked. "I...believe he is. He's visited alone several times in the past. Since he doesn't use portal jumpers and magic beans have gone extinct I would assume he teleports himself..."

"Then if we can contact him," Zatanna murmured, somewhat to herself though everyone could hear, "then maybe - maybe - he can bring us home!"

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Blüdhaven  
July 5, 10:18 EST_

"Ceased. Not **de**ceased. No 'de'."

Dick Grayson nervously paced in his apartment. Wally was gone, and so Nightwing was taking a leave of absence from the Team. Of course, he would still help his city when needed, but for now...

"_Not deceased!_ Jaime said that his scarab had warned him Wally would _cease_ in sixteen seconds, but that doesn't necessarily mean the same thing as _decease..."_

The wall had a new hole in it now, next to the one he punched in after Jason. But this one was not in frustration of a loss. It was in frustration of not being able to find Wally again.

"He's not dead. He's not dead! _He's not **de**ceased!"_

_Team Year 2: 2012  
Enchanted Forest  
June 17, 12:24 EST_

"So, you're a fugitive?"

They all knew the story of Snow White, but it seemed Disney had gotten it wrong - at least, in this universe they did. The rebel princess nodded at Artemis's question as she continued to lead them toward her 'safehouse' of the day.

"Yes. Regina is...harboring grudges from long ago. It's not something you need to be concerned about though; right now we need to focus on getting you reunited with your friends and getting you back home."

Green Arrow sighed. "Well, even if we do get back together, we don't know how we're going to get back home..."

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

"...Snow?" The princess looked over to Rocket, who had a somewhat contemplative look on her face. "What happens if we run into the Queen's men - or the Queen herself?"

"Then we'd fight. I will help you get home." With that determination, Snow White pushed onward. M'gann, somewhat puzzled, opened up the mind link so that the group could share their thoughts.

"_She's oddly helpful," _Black Canary commented. "_I would not have expected that."_

_"I think it's so sweet that she's helping us though,_" M'gann argued.

"_As long as it gets us home,"_ Artemis added._ "Somehow..."_

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Watchtower  
July 5, 11:01 EST_

"Hey, Bart...I'm sorry, _hermano_."

The speedster looked up at Jaime, a depressed look on his face. "Not your fault, bro," he muttered. "I should have slowed down more. And sixteen seconds was not enough time to warn us. You did your best. Any one of us would have made the same sacrifice as Wally."

"_The Impulse is correct, Jaime."_ Jaime flinched a little as the Scarab, who had been unusually quiet for the past few hours, finally spoke up. "_I would have even allowed you to make the same sacrifice if it was necessary for the survival of your kind."_

"Thanks," Jaime muttered, to both Bart and the Scarab. "But um, Bart, I just...I'm gonna take some time off. I'll be out at the memorials if you need me."

"Sure," the speedster nodded, turning back to looking at a picture in his hands. Jaime was not going to pry, but he'd bet it had something to do with Wally.

Speaking of not prying...hopefully no one would be out at the memorials now. He had some things to say to the Scarab.

"_Khaji Da."_

"What?" Jaime stopped short at the unexpected words from the Scarab.

"_My name. It is Khaji Da."_

"Khaji Da..." They were at the memorials now, and Jaime sat on one of the conveniently placed benches, ready to talk now. "Alright then, Khaji. About the North Pole..."

_Team Year 2: 2012_  
_Enchanted Forest_  
_June 17, 7:49 EST_

"Take these provisions. They should last you about a week."

"I hope so," Red Arrow muttered, casting a hard glare toward Flash and Superboy. The two shrugged; it wasn't that they liked eating, but their metabolisms demanded a constant source of energy.

Nightwing, meanwhile, had accepted the packs from Granny and tossed one toward Superboy, who caught it easily. "We can't thank you enough," he said, a smile on his face. After a moment, he added, "You really don't have to do this, so why help us at all?"

"Because it's who we are," Red said instantly. "We would never let someone starve or be killed - not if we can help it."

Again, a smile crossed Nightwing's face. "Well, thank you again."

"Just watch out for any other wolves," Granny warned. "And keep your wits about you; you don't want to encounter the Queen's men, not now. She's on the hunt for Snow White, so you'd best be careful."

"Don't worry," Flash said, a grin on his face as well. "We'll be fine. You stay safe, too!"

And with that, they departed and began the search for Alpha and Gamma.

_Team Year 5: 2012  
__Watchtower  
__July 5, 11:11 EST__  
_

Not much slipped past Nabu. As a Lord of Order, he had to make sure everything stayed in balance. Unless Klarion was lose (the kid was so hard to control - chaos personified and all that) he was responsible for maintaining the delicate balance of the world.

(And really, he should change his title to Lord of Balance or Lord of Harmony or something similar; people hear Doctor Fate, Lord of Order, and immediately think of strict rules and rigid schedules, though in reality Nabu didn't care about rules so long as the world stayed balanced.)

It was only now, several days after the "death" of Wally, that he could feel it.

There was a magical disturbance, and the energy signature matched most closely to that of the Dark One - Rumpelstiltskin.

This was something he should tell the League, he knew, but instead he decided he should keep it confidential.

The first to hear about this would be Nightwing.

* * *

Sorry about the wait on this. I wanted to watch the rest of the season before starting anything - and OH MY GOSH SEASON THREE I NEED IT NOW! THAT ENDING! GAAAH!

Rumbelle was back for all of twenty minutes, and now it's been broken up again. Stupid writers. And Henry - WHAT DO THEY WANT WITH HIM?! But oh my gosh, Phillip and Aurora and Mulan found Baelfire and EEEK ADVENTURES! XD

So this will sort of not really follow the actual Once timeline of Storybrooke, from about episode 17 onward. It'll mainly focus on what Wally does, though...

And muahaha, I'm setting the stage for even bigger events...

Give me two to three weeks for the next update though. I have many competitions, prom, essays, and finals coming up. I need to stay focused on that now. Sorry folks, but until next time, please leave a review!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Young Justice or Once Upon a Time. Young Justice belongs to Greg Weisman. Once Upon a Time belongs to Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

_**Look Both Ways**_

_Team Year 2: 2012  
Dark Castle  
June 18, 13:47 EST_

"You have a slight trace of magic on you, y'know."

Wally yelped and spun around, finding himself face to face with a grinning Rumpelstiltskin. He would never get used to the man's ability to pop up out of nowhere...it wasn't like what Ro-Nightwing did. Half the time Nightwing gave himself away with his cackle anyway.

Now, Wally focused on the strange man. "Magic? What do you-?"

"You donned the Helmet of Fate at one point, didn't you?"

The way he said it made Wally think that the imp wasn't asking, just confirming. "Er, yeah..."

"Anyone who dons the Helmet will carry some trace of magic with them the rest of their lives - unless they had magic previously, like Zatanna." Rumpelstiltskin giggled in that creepy way of his. "But that's not the point I'm trying to make here, dearie! The point is that you can hone that little trace of power - like the previous host to Nabu. What was his name? Kent Nelson, I think it was."

Wally raised a questioning eyebrow. "What - do you _want_ me to become a magician or something?"

Rumpelstiltskin giggled again - Wally would never get used to that either. "Oh, it's up to you, dearie. I can always help you out if you like, though. Speaking of which, Zatanna asked me to teach her a few spells. I don't really know why - she's got such talent already - but she made a deal to show me a few of her spells and, well, I always honor my deals!"

With that, a puff of purplish smoke appeared, and Rumpelstiltskin vanished from the room.

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Watchtower  
July 5, 11:06 EST_

"So, wait...you knew? All along?"

"_That is correct, Jaime."_

"...So why didn't you say something beforehand, Khaji?"

_"I knew you would not allow the Kid Flash to embark to the North Pole. You would have kept him from the path he must travel."_

Jaime tried to shoot Khaji Da an annoyed glance, but all he could manage was a glare toward his shoulder. "What path?" he hissed.

If the Scarab had eyes, it would no doubt be rolling them. "_It is not mine to say. All I know was that there was a low-level amount of magic in the area; it was as strong as Nabu's. It took Wally. Hence why I said he was ceased, not deceased. I believe the Nightwing has picked up on this - he did have a fetish for prefixes and suffixes, if I am not mistaken."_

Jaime was now pacing, somewhat confused. "So, wait...he's not dead?"

"_Did you not understand any of what I just said?"_

Oh, great, now Khaji Da had picked up sarcasm. "No, no, just...just checking. Anyway, would there be a chance we could...?"

"_Ask Nabu, or perhaps the mage Zatanna. Even the Captain Marvel might be able to tell you more."_

"Thanks, Khaji!" Jaime dashed away from the memorials at a speed that would have made Bart and Barry proud, toward the Zeta Tubes to see if he could find any of the aforementioned three magic-users.

_Blüdhaven  
July 5, 11:09 EST_

"Hello, Nabu."

Under the helmet an eyebrow quirked upward as Nightwing spoke. The Lord of Order had appeared in his room as quietly as magic would allow, and yet the little ninja still managed to detect him. Interesting. And with that out of the way he might as well cut straight to the point.

"Wallace West is not dead."

"Yeah, I figured that out."

Again, Nabu found himself surprised. His host, Giovanni, snorted and pointed out that this _was_ a protege of Batman, the World's Greatest Detective. Nabu asked him to kindly shut up.

"Jaime's Scarab said 'ceased', not 'deceased'. I figured out that Wally's gone from this dimension, but still alive...somehow."

"He is. You would recall that a few years ago, there were portals appearing in this dimension. You and others went to investigate. Wally West has been pulled into a realm - not that realm, but one where all those you met there have been cast."

Nightwing grinned.

_Team Year 2: 2012  
__Dark Castle  
__June 18, 13:55 EST__  
_

"So...you have magic too?"

Billy nodded at Belle's curious question. "Yeah. Well, sort of. See, the wizard who was supposed to teach me sort of...um..."

"Kicked the bucket," Jason supplied helpfully as he walked by. Billy stuck his tongue out at him, but nodded at Belle.

"Oh." The former duchess seemed to be at a loss for words. "I'm...sorry..."

Billy sighed and shrugged. "Nah, it's fine. I mean, I knew the guy for five minutes...he gave me my powers, and then...well, it's sort of complicated."

"I'm sure Rumpelstiltskin could teach you if you want."

Billy blinked. "Wow. Do you think he would? I mean, he'd probably make me deal for it - that's kind of his thing, isn't it?"

Belle giggled. "Yeah, just a bit."

Suddenly Billy grinned. "So...do you like him? Like, _like him_ like him?"

Belle blanched. "Erm...no?"

It was Billy's turn to giggle. "Uh huh, sure."

Belle simply rolled her eyes and stood up. "Well, I'm going o go find Rum and Wally and Zatanna and see what they want for dinner. Any preference?"

Billy shrugged. "Nah."

"Alright." As soon as Belle was gone, Jason appeared again.

"So Cap, how're you liking this land?"

"It's fine, I guess, but I sort of miss home..."

Jason sighed. "Yeah, same here. Belle's pretty nice, though Rumpelstiltskin creeps the heck out of me."

"Yeah, he has that affect."

"...I wish this world had video games. I'd so kick your butt."

"When we get home, challenge accepted!"

_Team Year 5: 2016  
__Storybrooke, Maine  
__July 5, 16:27 EST__  
_

"So...why are you visiting me?"

Wally looked at the amnesic Belle with a mix of emotions swimming in his green eyes. "We...knew each other, a while back. Me and my friends were lost, and you took us in until some of our other friends found us. When I heard what happened I felt like I should come check on you...like a debt, you know?"

Slowly she nodded, obviously trying toprocess this. "Ah. I'm...sorry I can't remember you."

"Hey, it's fine. You don't have to worry about it. We didn't know each other that long so I wasn't really expecting you to."

She smiled then, and it was still Belle's brilliant smile. And while it was true - he hadn't known Belle that well - he felt that he owed it not just to Rumpelstiltskin to fix her but...but he also owed Jason. He'd been the one who had spent the most time with Belle during their time in that world...

Hmm. Amnesia suddenly didn't sound all that bad.

But, no, it obviously had major downsides too. And Wally was not in the mood for that, thanks. (Once was enough, anyway.)

"Oh, so - uh," Wally stammered awkwardly, suddenly remembering a minor detail. "Look, I know a lot of people in town call you 'Belle', but I've heard that you don't...want the name. Or don't like it? Something like that. I mean, it was what everyone called you but...do you have a name you actually _want_ to be called?"

Belle blinked. "Oh. Um. I...never really thought about that. I...I can't remember my own name..."

"No, hey, it's ok," Wally said quickly, noticing tears starting to form. "You don't have to remember your name but... Are you alright with being called Belle? Or do you want me - us - the town - to call you something else?"

She paused, giving it thought. "I...I guess they can keep calling me Belle," she murmured at last. "But...maybe...Rose? Or...Lacey."

"Yoh want me to call you Rose, then?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "Yes. It doesn't sound...I mean, I don't know. But it's a nice name, and I don't know if I like being called Belle...being expected to be someone I can't remember."

Wally gave her a soft smile. "Alright then...Rose. And I promise, I will do everything I can to help you through this mess."

_I owe it to Rumpel and Jason...and I owe it to the real you too_.

* * *

Mindless plot is mindless. OR IS IT?

I have an idea of what I want to happen in the Enchanted Forest, but I definitely know what I want to do with Storybrooke. Problem is I don't know how I'm going to fit everything so that the timelines stay secure...

Oh well too bad for timelines I guess.

Thanks to all who've read, reviewed, favorited, followed, and all around enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Seriously if I owned these shows_ Young Justice_ would not have ended like that and _Once_ would be dishing out new episodes every week.

_**Look Both Ways**_

_Team Year 2: 2012  
Dark Castle  
June 30, 15:00 EST_

"_Ekoms dna srorrim, etaerc a dleihs dnuora siht eltsac!"_

Rumpelstiltskin watches as the fog rises from the mountain, glowing, and forms a protective dome around his castle grounds. Zatanna stands in front of the door, steady and braced with her arms out and palms facing the endless forest that surrounds them. Her eyes are closed, and even from the several meters that separate them Rumpelstiltskin can see the sweat forming on her brow. Behind him, he knows, are Belle (_his_ Belle, but no one, not even Belle herself, realizes this yet), Wally, Jason, and Billy.

Zatanna's friends shout words of encouragement to her as she slowly lowers her arms. The shield flickers slightly, but still glows strong. "You can do it, Zee!" "Way to go!" "You've got it, girl!"

Cautiously, Zatanna opens her eyes to survey her own work. Rumpelstiltskin breaks into a smile as she does, and the shield continues to pulse and glow brightly for a few more minutes. During this time Zatanna walks around, paces, anything _but_ concentrate on her shield.

It comes down when she flinches at a rustle, and Rumpel chuckles. "Very well done, dearie. You're getting the hang of it quickly."

She smiles at him, and moves to rejoin the group. Rumple turns to Billy now, who is excitedly bouncing on his feet. "You're up."

Billy opens his mouth, but Rumpelstiltskin holds up a hand. "As Billy Batson," he adds, and Billy's face loses its confident glow. "You've been learning to channel your power to this form. Show me what you've learned."

Billy nods, a little stunned, and walks forward to stand where Zatanna was just standing. Wally frowns, and turns to the imp.

"You're sure he can do this?" he asks as Billy takes his place nervously.

The Dark One flashes Wally a wicked grin. "Dearie, I _know_ he can do this. He has the stuff." A pause. "So do you, if you'd-"

"Pass," Wally hisses, backing up to stand with his friends. Rumpelstiltskin shrugs and turns back to watch Billy.

The boy had rarely used his magic, and even so his brand of magic was different from Zatanna's. It was a gift, not inherited, and he could channel it without using words. It was so powerful, in fact, Rumpel was surprised he hadn't already discovered his magical potency - as either Billy Batson or Captain Marvel.

_Untapped potential,_ Rumpel mused, watching as the air around Billy started to shimmer slightly. _Or, untapped until he fell into my world..._

Billy was frowning now, concentrating, and Belle stepped up to Rumpel quietly. "Are you sure the boy can do this, Rumpelstiltskin?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and then turned to her, but not with malice or annoyance; gah, this odd feeling he got around Belle would have to be investigated. Later. "Of course I'm sure. Just watch."

And sure enough, slowly a glimmering electric-blue shield formed around the castle. Billy, in the center of it all, was sweating madly, arms shaking, eyes squeezed shut - but if Rumpel squinted he could see bright blue lightning crackling away under the closed eyelids. _Power of Zeus _indeed.

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Storybrooke, Maine  
July 6, 7:15 EST_

"So...this Greg Mendel guy is bad news, right?"

Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow at Wally. "Well, the town certainly believes so. Why?"

"What about Tamara?"

Gold sighs. "Lad, she's Bae's fiance, and I won't ruin that for him. He'll reveal it all sooner or later to her, and when he does...well, we'll just have to wait and see, I suppose."

Wally sighed. "I guess."

They sit at Granny's Diner in comfortable silence. Gold is staring out the window, watching Bae walk with Henry, and Wally swears there is a hint of remorse on Rumpel's face.

"So how is Belle?"

Wally starts. "Huh? Oh, right! Well, erm...she asked to be called Rose, though she still can't remember her real name. I haven't started trying to explain anything to her yet, but I've been telling her about my childhood and how she likes to read and what new books I would recommend she read when she finally gets out of the hospital and stuff..."

"So, she's...fine?"

Wally grins. "Yeah, Rum. She's fine."

_Team Year 2: 2012  
Enchanted Forest  
June 30, 16:27 EST_

"...You guys are awfully quiet."

Black Canary arched an eyebrow at Snow White. "Yes. Is that...a problem? Would you prefer we talk?"

Snow turned back to look at them from where she was scouting the best route to the next little town. "Well," the princess said slowly, "it seems like you guys _are _talking, but...quietly, with little gestures you've learned to read or something. I sort of feel left out."

"No offense," Artemis said, stepping forward, "but some of what we're discussing is private and relates to our home...personal stuff. Not something we really want spoken aloud."

Snow studied the young blonde archer for a moment before shrugging. "Alright, whatever." The brunette then continued down the hill, having clearly scouted out the best path to the next town on their journey to the Dark Castle.

"_I feel sort of bad," _M'gann confessed over the mental link as they trekked. "_Snow deserves to know..."_

_"How weird would she find it, though?"_ Rocket pointed out. "_Even I found this weird at first!"_

_"Ladies, can we get back to the previous discussion?"_ Green Arrow inquired. "_What exactly are we expecting to find at this...Dark Castle?"_

_"Snow said that this man, Rumpelstiltskin, is the most powerful sorcerer in their land,"_ Black Canary explained with a mental sigh. "_Perhaps he can help us locate our missing teammates...or perhaps our other teammates are also on their way there or have already arrived, if they heard of him already."_

_"So, in short, we're going on the off chance we run into Gamma or Beta on the way, and hoping that if we don't they're either already there or that this guy can find them?"_ Artemis asked.

"_Yes, exactly."_

_"...Who's idea was this again?"_

_Team Year 5: 2016  
Storybrooke, Maine  
July 6, 15:09 EST_

"...So Tamara found out pretty quickly."

Gold shot Wally a death glare, and the redhead shrank under the former Dark One's gaze. "I was just thinking, though," Wally continued cautiously, "that...what if she's not really who she says she is? Emma seems conflicted about her, and...I dunno, she gives off weird vibes..."

Rumpel sighed. "Wally, we just have to...hope that she doesn't ruin anything, tell anyone about us, mess anything up, the way we're hoping Greg Mendel never even finds out about what we really are."

Wally frowned, still pensive. "Yeah...I guess...oh, so, I'm going to visit Rose tomorrow morning. Planning on staying there for most of the day - the cafeteria food there isn't stellar but it works and the great part is they give me however much I want but they have like a limitless supply and it's for free (or most of it is)! So anyway, anything you want me to give to Rose - anything you want to tell her?"

Gold frowned, pensive. "I...yes. Tell her...tell her that when she gets out to simply come by my shop for the key to the apartment above the library. If she still wants it, that is. Since she was going to be the town librarian and all..."

Wally saluted. "Got it! And before you say anything else, don't worry, I'll keep an eye out and make sure both Greg _and_ Regina stay far, far away."

Gold smiled. "Thank you, Wally."

"No problem, Rum! After all...I do kinda owe you still."

"I told you-"

"Well I feel like I owe you so just accept it, alright?"

"...fine..."

_Watchtower  
July 6, 8:15 EST_

"Captain Marvel! Zatanna! Wait up!"

The two League members paused in their conversation and turned as Blue Beetle raced toward them. "Hey, Jaime. Do you need something?"

"I think I saw Bart downstairs if you're looking for him," Captain Marvel offered helpfully.

"Thanks, _hermano_," Jaime said, "but I'm actually wondering if you've seen Doctor Fate...or if the two of you have a minute to spare."

The two exchanged a glance. "Last I saw," Captain Marvel said slowly, "Fate was going headed to Blüdhaven. I think I heard him mutter something about finding Nightwing and then Artemis..."

"Why's he looking for them?" The three blinked and turned to see Bart standing behind them, offering them an apologetic grin. "Ah, sorry. Went looking for Blue, couldn't help but overhear."

"I don't know why Nabu is looking for them," Marvel confessed with a shrug.

"Well, it might have something to do with...with the fact that..."

"Jaime?"

"...Khaji Da says that there was low-lying mystic energy in the area where Kid Flash disappeared and that he might have been transported to another universe!"

There was stunned silence for a moment.

"Wait...Wally's _alive?!_"

"Mystic energy?"

"Who is Khaji Da?"

Jaime ignored the first two questions - they seemed more rhetorical than anything - and answered the third with a simple, "My Scarab. It's an artificial intelligence, y'know, so it wants to be called Khaji Da."

Captain Marvel raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and simply muttered "OK". Zatanna, meanwhile, studied Jaime intensely as Bart babbled on about his cousin being alive and not moded and _et cetera_.

"So...what do you want us for?"

"I believe I can answer that question." The booming echo of the voice left little doubt of who the owner was, but the small group of four still turned to stare at Doctor Fate, Nightwing, and Artemis. "You believe, with the help of myself or Zatanna, you could go and bring Wallace West home."

Jaime blushed and was suddenly quite thankful he had forgotten to retract his armor. "Erm...yeah."

Nightwing grinned. "Well, guys, pack your stuff. The seven of us are going on a rescue mission."

* * *

So there's news that SOPA might be coming back. I don't know what'll happen with this if it succeeds this time, but for now I'll just keep posting like nothing's wrong and if SOPA succeeds...well...that's the end of this fanfiction, I guess. (stupid laws...)

But yeah, the FTL/Season 2 plot should coincide nicely. I plan on having another four, maybe five or six chapters for that (but who knows how long they'll take, what with three AP classes and all), and then...well, hey, season 3 premiers September 29th! So I'll begin delving into some new plots then...!

(And obviously you can totally guess what's going to happen - heck, leave a comment on what you think should happen! I'll try to incorporate it maybe. But - SPOILERS - there will be no Lacey. The Blue Fairy makes her potion for Sneezy but Wally finds his own way to fix Belle. Also I'm not paying much attention to anything else cuz it's Wally centric, darn it.)


End file.
